The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 157 Song's Mother

Zheng Xun did not return to the palace; instead, he went to find Song Zhiling.

Song Zhiling's home was in a narrow alley, so she had to hand her horse over to the Qinglong Guard behind her and go there alone.

"You all wait here."

After saying this, she smiled and walked towards the alley entrance.

Several elderly women at the alley entrance had already noticed Zheng Xun.

Because they have lived here for decades and have never seen such a glamorous person before.

Zheng Xun, with his hands behind his back, flashed a sweet smile: "Hello, ladies!"

The older women had some reservations at first, but Zheng Xun was so well-behaved and adorable, like a little girl from next door, that they quickly relaxed.

"Is this young lady looking for someone?"

"Oh dear, you're so clever, ma'am! Do you gentlemen know which family has a young man named Song Zhiling?"

The older women's expressions became somewhat subtle upon hearing the name "Song Zhiling".

No one spoke for a moment.

Zheng Xun's smile remained unchanged: "What's wrong? Is there something you can't say?"

"No... well, a little."

Zheng Xun actually knew the reason.

Song Zhiling's mother, Xu, used to be a prostitute with a bad reputation. Some people in the alley often cursed her for corrupting the atmosphere of the alley, and would spit on her as they passed by her house to show that they were not of the same ilk as her.

But who remembers what the Song family originally looked like?

At that time, Song's father joined the army and sent all his monthly salary home. Xu was not only pretty, but also diligent and capable, managing everything at home and outside.

The couple were both kind-hearted, so they often helped their neighbors, which earned them a very good reputation at the time.

Soon, Song's mother became pregnant.

Before Song's mother could even share the good news with her husband, she was shocked to hear the devastating news that he had died in battle.

She was in a daze and sad for a long time, but she still had a child and couldn't give up.

So, suppressing her grief, she started looking for odd jobs.

Logically, after Song's father died, the imperial court should have issued a pension.

However, Ms. Xu did not receive a single penny. She went to the government office to inquire, but she could not get any information from them.

During that period, Ms. Xu had a very difficult time.

But at that time she did not realize how difficult it was for a single woman to survive.

One night, her door was pounded open, and a drunken, burly man barged in.

From that moment on, her peaceful life was gone forever.

At that time, she naively thought that she had been quite popular before, and that someone would be willing to help her.

But as soon as she told her former best friend about it, it was embellished and spread throughout the entire alley.

Later on, she became that fickle and promiscuous woman.

Faced with countless gossips, her first thought was to escape. However, she had no savings at home, and the price of the house was repeatedly lowered when she tried to sell it. If she left, she wouldn't be able to hold on for long, and she might not even have a place to live.

Reality is like a mountain blocking her way; she can't cross it or get over it. She can only look at the insurmountable summit and imagine the freedom and peace beyond.

She didn't leave after all.

Song Zhiling was born, and she began to keep the door closed for most of the year, wanting to raise her child well.

Perhaps knowing that it would be too difficult for a woman who was powerless to survive, she only told others that Song Zhiling was a boy.

Life did not get back on track from then on; she was repeatedly forced into situations against her will.

She didn't want to compromise. Many times, when she passed by the government office, she wanted to hit the big drum at the gate.

But she was already scared.

She didn't want to suffer any more gossip, and she didn't want to reveal her experiences in public.

Perhaps those people were also afraid of being sued, so when they left, they would leave behind some silver, thus turning coercion into a transaction.

They spread rumors that she was a "prostitute."

Things have come to this point, and it seems she has no way out.

Her only solace was her daughter.

Song Zhiling is very ambitious and outstanding.

She silently watched her daughter grow up, and finally, after joining the patrol guard, she quietly ended her own life.

Song's mother didn't explain anything to Song Zhiling. She was just afraid that her child had seen too much darkness and would go astray, and would be sad and scared.

But what Song's mother didn't know was that after her death, Song Zhiling had found out everything he needed to know.

The reason they remained silent was simply because they lacked evidence.

Zheng Xun's purpose today is to support Song Zhiling, so she wants to come with dignity and let her stand in front of everyone with dignity.

Her gaze swept over the group of older women: "There's nothing wrong with it. Song Zhiling is a good friend of mine, so her character is naturally impeccable."

Seemingly too lazy to be polite with them any longer, she said with a stern face, "All you need to do is tell me where the Song family is."

The older women couldn't help but tremble when they heard her self-identification.

However, the common people didn't know how to greet her, so they could only stammer out the answer.

Zheng Xun didn't criticize them, and turned to walk in the direction they pointed.

Song Zhiling's residence is located in the middle of the alley.

Because the alley was dark and damp from years of lack of sunlight, Zheng Xun ignored the mud on the ground and quickly walked over to knock on the door.

"coming!"

The door creaked open, and Song Zhiling poked her head out. The moment she saw Zheng Xun, her eyes widened.

Zheng Xun smiled and said, "Won't you invite me in for a seat?"

Song Zhiling instinctively opened the door, wanting to invite her in, but then she regretted it when she thought of her cramped and messy room.

But by then, Zheng Xun had already gone inside.

Song Zhiling awkwardly explained, "Princess, this place might be a bit messy. Why don't we find a clean place to talk?"

Zheng Xun didn't respond, but found a chair and sat down: "What are you standing there for? Sit across from me."

Song Zhiling did as instructed, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

She stood with her legs together and her hands resting awkwardly on her knees: "Why is the princess here?"

Zheng Xun looked at her and said, "Now, someone else has taken your place on your mission. You don't need to go to the Brown Kingdom anymore."

Upon hearing this news, Song Zhiling did not show any joy; on the contrary, she looked somewhat apprehensive.

Zheng Xun raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Do you have any objections?"

Song Zhiling suddenly knelt down in front of her: "Princess! Please don't abandon me!"

Zheng Xun was slightly taken aback, and explained, "It's not that I'm abandoning you, it's just that since some people have already gone to the Brown Kingdom, there's no need to send a few more people in for the time being."

Especially since she has Mu Zhuo as a powerful weapon, the other henchmen can only serve as mutual support and a precaution.

Song Zhiling kowtowed deeply: "Princess! You can't put all your eggs in one basket. Even if you have a better candidate, you can't guarantee that everything will be fine. Having one more person means you have one more way out."

Zheng Xun did not respond.

Song Zhiling took a deep breath and continued to rack his brains to persuade her: "Princess, you know this is a better choice. You are a person who is going to do great things. You can't make a mistake just because you are reluctant to give it up or because you are soft-hearted!"

Her words were quite interesting; she appealed to his emotions and reason, showing that she genuinely hoped Zheng Xun would retract his decision.

Zheng Xun explained Jiao Lian's existence, and Song Zhiling suddenly felt more at ease.

"Is the princess testing Zhiling?"

“How come you see?”

“That Jiao Lian appeared out of nowhere. Even though the princess has the ability to tell fortunes and knows that she is sincere, she has not received any training and is not familiar with undercover work. Therefore, you need me.”

"But why would I test you?"

"The princess wants me to understand that this is an opportunity I have begged for, so I must cherish it and be grateful, and not change my mind later."

Zheng Xun neither nodded nor admitted it, but Song Zhiling understood from her silence that her guess was correct.

She didn't know that the reason Zheng Xun didn't trust her was that in the original future, she had already betrayed Dayong once.

But she knew she had to make her stance clear.

She crawled on her knees to Zheng Xun, tilting her head back, her gaze unreadable, whether serious or devout.

“Princess, Zhiling will not betray you.”

She didn't say she wouldn't betray Dayong, but only that she wouldn't betray Zheng Xun.

Sure enough, Zheng Xun's brows gradually relaxed.

She helped Song Zhiling up: "When you arrive in the Brown Kingdom, you must support each other and prioritize your own safety. Also... I hope you will use your brains more and not resort to women unless absolutely necessary, understand?"

Jiao Lian had no choice, but with Song Zhiling, she didn't want her to use her beauty and body as bargaining chips.

Her mistress wasn't so useless that they needed to sacrifice these things.

Song Zhiling solemnly replied, "Yes, Princess."

Zheng Xun nodded and glanced at the courtyard wall. There were probably a few ears listening outside.

Because she and Song Zhiling hadn't spoken loudly, they hadn't heard anything, so they were now scratching their heads in frustration.

She tapped her fingertips lightly on her leg for a moment: "There's one more thing, it's about your mother."

Song Zhiling suddenly looked up, his expression turning somewhat gloomy and terrifying.

Zheng Xun was not intimidated and remained calm and composed as always.

After a moment, Song Zhiling lowered his head: "Please speak, Princess."

“I can make those who bullied your mother pay the price,” she said sternly. “And what about you?”

"Me?" Song Zhiling didn't understand.

"Would you make the same decision as your mother? Are you... afraid?"

Song Zhiling asked blankly, "What are you afraid of?"

"You're afraid of being talked about, afraid of being looked at differently. Your mother chose to endure it because of these things. Do you want to make the same choice?"

Song Zhiling seemed to have heard a joke, and couldn't help but reveal a hint of mockery: "I'm not like her."

Her mother...

She felt sorry for their misfortune and angry at their lack of resistance.

She felt incredibly stupid, but it was all for her own good.

You can't scold them, you can't hate them, and thinking about it will only make you angry.

To put it bluntly, her mother died long ago, and now she is in charge, and she is determined to demand justice.

"Have you decided?"

“Yes, Princess,” she paused, her expression softening, “Thank you, Princess.”

She didn't use lengthy, lavish praise; she simply said a few words.

But only she knows the weight of those words.

Zheng Xun smiled warmly: "You're one of my people now, no need to thank me, just do your job well."

"Yes, I will. I will."

"Okay, let's go."